SPIRITUAL WARFARE SERIES

(Deliverance is the children’s bread)





This series on spiritual warfare has been long overdue, hasn’t it? The fact that most churches do not preach or teach on this subject anymore does not mean it isn’t important. You see, church, everything in the Bible is important and should be preached.

Let me make something clear to you. I do not see demons behind every bush. I actually do not even dwell on the subject that much. But, I am not and will not be ignorant of all that God has done for us. I find it to be a high priority to understand why Jesus died on that cross for us. I want to know and understand the tools and concepts Jesus taught us in the New Testament. Certainly Jesus taught us who our enemy is. And he, through his apostles and followers in the New Testament, has shown us how to resist the devil so he will flee from us. My pastor in Michigan used to say “The devil would flee from us as in terror.” And, that is exactly how I want it for you and for me.

Let me welcome you and let me stress once again, everyone is welcome in this service. This 24/7, week long, online church is designed to lead you to Jesus so you may have a victorious life on this earth and eternal life with God and his Son, Jesus Christ. Please turn with me to James 4:7 and let’s read it together.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

The interesting thing about this is James was talking to believers. So, the advice he gave to them would also apply to us, wouldn’t it? In today’s terms, submitting yourselves to God would mean reading his Word (the Bible), and choosing to follow God’s instructions for living. The truth is, you can only do this by faith in Jesus Christ and what he did for us on the cross. The first thing James says, resist the devil and he will flee from you – so what does that say to us? To be blunt, it tells us that even though we are saved by the grace of God, the devil is still hell bound on destroying us and drawing us away from God. Well, how do you see it?

My friends, Satan deploys his evil spirits, which we know commonly as demons, to attack us in every way possible. This brings us to the question people, including many preachers, like to ignore. Can Christians have demons? I have a good pastor friend in Tennessee who says “Christians can have anything they want.” Unfortunately, they can
also have things they may not want, such as oppression from evil spirits.

Now, before you close your mind to this teaching, let’s look at the Bible and see what God’s Word has to say on this subject. Who is deliverance for? Who should devils be cast out of? Believers or nonbelievers? You want the truth don’t you? Mark 7:24-27, talking about Jesus here, states:

“And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and would have no man know it: But, he could not be hid. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation: And she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, let the children first be filled: For it is not meet to take the children’s bread and to cast it unto dogs.”

Basically what this scripture is saying, is that deliverance and healing are the children’s bread. Deliverance and the casting out of devils are not for the unbeliever, but is for God’s children, which believers in the saving grace of Jesus Christ are. Do you get this, church? It is very important!! Simply put, deliverance is the children’s bread. That is the reason when Paul was talking to the church of Ephesus, he stated, as we have pointed out in every segment of this series, in Ephesians 6:12, which was a message to believers:

“For we (believers) wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

So let us repeat ourselves. Deliverance and the casting out of devils is the children’s bread. It is only one tool to resist the devil so he has to flee out of us and not be able to return to harm us. Why? Because we will fill our hearts and spirits with the protection that God’s Word provides for us. That, my friends, is what the unbeliever or you might say, non Christian, would not do. The very reason when Jesus says in Mark 16:17:

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.”

Jesus is not talking here about casting devils out of nonbelievers. Let me prove it to you. Turn with me to Matthew 12:43-45. Please, pay real good attention here, Jesus is speaking:

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he sayeth, I will return into mine house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept and garnished. Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: And the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”

How much clearer could it be said? Demons consider your bodies as their house. My friends, the worst thing you could ever do to a nonbelieving friend, relative or stranger, would be to cast evil spirits out of them. You would be condemning them to a fate seven times worse than whatever state they were when you began this. You want to cast the devil out of them, get them saved. Then cast the devil out and fill their heart up with the Word of God.

Now you see why deliverance is only the children’s bread. Wow, we have covered a lot of ground this week, haven’t we? You know, church, I very rarely recommend books to you. But I am going to make an exception this week. There is a book based entirely on the Bible entitled “Pigs in the Parlor” by Frank and Ida Hammond. This is a great basic book on spiritual warfare, which of course includes deliverance and the casting out of evil spirits. The premise is this: If you were a farmer and you left the front door open and the pigs walked through your door into your parlor, would you let them stay there? Of course you wouldn’t!! Then as believers, if evil spirits enter into you would you not kick them out just as quickly? Pigs in the Parlor can be found in most Christian bookstores. You may have to order it as it was written quite a number of years ago. But the truth it reveals is still valid today. You may find it in the spiritual warfare section of your Bible book store. I urge you to read this book and read every scripture it refers you to. You will become well informed and will be blessed.

Next week we will conclude this series on spiritual warfare by revealing how demons enter in. But, most importantly, how they can be blocked from entering in. You see, my friends, God is revealing these things to you because he loves you. Let’s leave you this week with a special scripture. II Timothy 1:7:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

In other words, church, if you sense a spirit of fear while digesting this message, it is not of God. So cast it out, in Jesus name.

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

Urgent Prayer Requests: Please pray for Regina Hidley. Regina is a mother of small children and she has lost her job. She needs finances to pay her bills and to care for her children. Please pray that God will lead her to good employment that pays well, has good benefits, and safe working conditions.

We have a prayer request for Brenda. We ask the Church to pray for her personal needs.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE SERIES (A Continuation)

Let me start by welcoming everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service. This service is for any and everyone who desires to know more about the things of God. No one is excluded from this place.

This week I would like to continue our teaching and preaching on spiritual warfare. If we as believers do not understand the concept and doctrine of the power God has given us over Satan and his evil spirits, we will be doomed to defeat, sickness and trouble at every hand. God desires we have joy and victory over all the wiles of the devil. After all, didn’t Jesus come to this earth for that very reason?

Did he not come to this earth to save us, give us eternal life and to show us by example how to live a victorious life right here, right now? And then, beyond this life, right onto eternal life with the heavenly Father and his son Jesus. You see, my friends, God loves us more than we can comprehend. He did not just dump us on the earth and say “Good luck.” No, he gives us tools to live victoriously until we unite with him in the afterlife known to us as eternal life. I want to give you a couple of scriptures from the Old Testament books of Nahum and Micah. Nahum was a prophet of the Lord around the year 625 B.C. In other words, Nahum was anointed 625 years before Jesus to give forth God’s Word. I believe you will see how those words pertain to us today. Nahum 1:7 states:

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”

These words are just as truthful and relevant today as they were in the year 625 B.C. Let’s look at this a little closer. Nahum is telling us because God is so good, he will be our stronghold or you might say strength in times of trouble. Now, I ask you, my friends, are these not troubling times? Of course they are. And who is our strength? The Lord!! That is, if you accept that strength through his son Jesus. And that also is if you as believers use the strength that God is in your life. It is important for us to believe the Word of God (the Bible), and its instructions on how to defeat Satan’s constant and relentless attacks against us.

We must learn to trust God. This scripture says God knows them that trust him. How does he know that? I could be flippant and just say because God knows everything. But that would not be fair to you, even though it is true. Seriously, folks, God knows those who trust him by their faith in Jesus and by their hunger for the things of God. When Jesus says over and over again “In my name cast out devils,” those that trust him know there are times when that is exactly what we should do. How do we do that? By faith in Jesus. For example: You have an addiction you can’t stop even though you have tried everything you know to do. You hate the addiction and what it is doing to you. Draw on the truth of God. Search the Bible on spiritual warfare scriptures and use the strength of God that Nahum talks about and speak to that spirit of addiction and command it to leave your body in the name of Jesus.

If you need support, ask God to lead you to a church or preacher who believes the Bible and knows how to pray for you and will in faith and by the name of Jesus, cast those evil spirits out of you and set you free. Deliverance from evil spirits is provided for you by Jesus and what he did for you on the cross. Use it, my friends, use it.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am sick and tired of seeing people that I know who love God suffer at the hands of the devil. This message is not a message designed to please the multitudes. Many preachers would advise me to not preach on this subject. They would advise that it would cost us church membership. Now it definitely won’t cost us a decline in money, because we never ask anyone for money. Some would say this subject is too controversial, but I would say – since when is Bible truth to be stopped by controversy? What I am showing you in this continuation of a two or three part series is how much God loves you.

Our church believes in salvation, healing (physical and mental), and deliverance from demonic oppression. It would not be fair to you if we did not preach on each of these subjects. God gives me the messages based only on his Word, and I am obligated by my promise to God and to you to deliver them to you. These messages are designed to inform and bless you with God’s Word. I cannot and I will not back away from the truth of the Word that God has revealed to me. Why? Because I love God and his Word and I love you. But, God loves you even more than I do. Okay, let’s continue.

I mentioned earlier Micah, who was a prophet and minister of our Lord around 725 B.C. Let’s take a look at what he has to say about us believers when we have fallen and feel like we are surrounded by darkness. Micah 7:8 states:

“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.”

This is an example of Micah, a believer, speaking to his enemy and telling him he would not be defeated because God would be his light and deliver him from darkness. Would he not do the same for us? So, who is our enemy? The Bible says, as we reported last week, that our enemy is not man, but are evil spirits sent to destroy us and to draw us away from God. Remember the scripture we gave you last week out of the book of Ephesians? Let’s read it again. Ephesians 6:12 states:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

So you see, my friends, Micah was telling us to speak to our enemy, which is Satan and his evil forces. Tell them no longer can they rejoice or laugh at your despair. In fact, command them in Jesus’ name to depart from you, never to return again. Speak out loud to that devil and say as Micah said “Even though I have fallen, I shall arise, because my God is for me.” Say out loud “Even though I may be in darkness, God is my light and I am coming out of your darkness into the light of God.” I think you are beginning to get the picture, my friends. God loves you so much he has given you the ability to defeat the devil at every turn. Will demons attempt to oppress you? Yes they will. Do they have the right to oppress you? Only if you let them. But you are learning through this online church that you don’t have to let them oppress or destroy you. Deliverance is available for you in the name of Jesus from all oppression of the devil. We will continue this series next week. Stick with us to the end. I guarantee you will be blessed.

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

Prayer Request: Please pray for Judy Girouard. Judy is in need of a job that pays well, has benefits, and safe working conditions. Also, pray that Judy is able to obtain a new car and she needs transportation.

WHO IS YOUR CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IN?

This week has been quite a week, hasn’t it? If you have watched the news at all this past week, you have seen multitudes in Egypt protesting and succeeding in driving their president, who many call a monarch or dictator, out of office. In truth, people all across the Middle East are revolting against oppressive government leaders. Those they once had confidence in have stolen from them. Not just their money, but their liberty, their dignity and their freedom.

Welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service. Each of you regardless of where you find yourself spiritually is welcome in this place. I received an email recently that showed me what chapter and verse was at the center of the Word of God (the Bible). Psalms 118:8. What an instructive scripture this is. Psalms 118:8 states:

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

You know, one of Israel’s biggest troubles as shown in the Old Testament was putting more confidence in their kings than in God. Even today man is no different. We put more confidence in men than our trust in the Lord. Well, it’s true, isn’t it? We listen to government leaders, college professors, doctors and yes even preachers more than we trust God and his Word.

It’s time to turn from our dependence on man who will always come short of what we need. Only God through his son Jesus can complete us. Many of us have come to Jesus, received his salvation, his love, mercy and grace only to defer his truth to what man has said to us. I don’t say this with any degree of pride. It is a sad thing that we as believers can be led astray so easily.

Remember when you first became a believer? All things seemed possible to you, didn’t they? We believed Jesus and what he said in Luke 18:27. Let’s read it together.

“And he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Remember when a doctor would give you bad news and you knew even if the doctor couldn’t heal you, God could? Remember the times when your friends, teachers and even sometimes your family would say things are hopeless - you would rise up and in faith say things are not hopeless, God is with and for us. You would say as the psalmist said in Psalms 121:1-2:

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.”

The psalmist was looking up. All we need to do is look in the Bible for our help. Our trust in God must always be more than our confidence in man. Let me give you an example of trusting man over God. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and their neighboring churches. He was giving the instructions to Christians, or as I like to say, believers, the way to live and follow God. Ephesians 6:12 states:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

In plain old fashioned terms, Paul is telling all believers to beware of evil spirits, sometimes just known as demons. He is telling us here that we as believers are the targets of demonic forces, isn’t he? Now to be sure, Satan constantly uses humans to carry out his dirty work against us, but not always. Otherwise, we could just fight off the humans, right? No, my friends, Brother Paul is telling us in no uncertain terms demonic forces are being sent to destroy you and to draw you away from God. And remember, he is talking to believers. If you are a believer, he is also talking to you.

When is the last time you heard in church about demonic oppression and how to combat it? My guess is not very often. Many preachers do not even believe demons can enter in and oppress Christians. However, the Bible clearly shows that their teaching is false. God has given us the ability to cast out devils and he expects us to do just that. When you are wrestling against principalities, rulers of darkness (demons), against spiritual wickedness in high places, you better know how to cast them out. If you don’t, you better find someone who believes the Bible and knows about deliverance. Look, Jesus in Mark 16:17-20 gives us the instructions. Now, read it with me and decide for yourself whether you believe what Jesus has to say or what misguided or misinformed men say. In Mark 16:17-20 Jesus is speaking:

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.”

Notice that these are the last words Jesus spoke before he left the earth and notice these words were about believers. I would conclude they were very important words, wouldn’t you? Now there is a multitude of sermons in this scripture. But for today let’s zoom in on where Jesus said “In my name they shall cast out devils.” That, my friends, is how you wrestle with evil spirits. You win, they lose.

Why do churches today not teach this or even better, why do they not cast out devils in their church services? I don’t know the answer, ask them. I say, have more trust in God than confidence in men. The question might arise – Bro. Bob, how can I know if I have a demon or evil spirit (they are the same) oppressing me? My friend, let me put it this way. If you are born again, love God with all your heart, you hate sin yet find yourself not being able to stop a particular habit or sin even though you try with all your heart, you might be struggling with an evil spirit. You have a medical condition that doctors can’t cure. You are like the lady with the issue of blood, who went to doctors, spent all her money, but by faith was healed by Jesus. Now you do everything you know to do. You pray, people have prayed for you, yet no healing. Perhaps you are struggling with a spirit of infirmity. Many times in the Bible it shows Jesus casting out evil spirits and the people were healed.

Jesus did not tell us to cast out devils for no reason, my friends. I know this may be new to some of you. It may go against everything you have been taught in church. But, what does the Bible say and are you going to put your confidence in the teaching of men, or are you going to put your trust in God and his Word? I, as a preacher of the gospel, say put your trust in God.

Hang around folks. In future messages we will be teaching more on spiritual warfare which includes the casting out of devils. A tool God has given his children. Finally, you will be able to use it.

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

A Special Prayer Request: Please pray urgently for a young girl in Georgia who has been diagnosed with scoliosis of the spine. We are asking God for a complete and total healing in Jesus' name, Amen.

I WILL LOVE THEE, O LORD, MY STRENGTH (Psalms 18:1)

Before we get started with today’s message, I have a special request for you. We have a very urgent prayer request that needs your attention. A young mother of two in Tennessee has just survived a stillborn birth but now has been diagnosed with colon cancer. This cancer has spread to her liver. Please, church!! I am asking you to pray urgently and with purpose for Sarah Walker. It’s for times like this that we as an online church are in existence. Please join Sarah and her friends and family in Tennessee in praying for a complete and total healing. A miracle would be good, wouldn’t it? Thank you for being faithful to answer our call for prayer. Also, look at the right side of our message for today and pray for each prayer request you see there. Now, let the service begin.

Psalms 18:1-2 states:

“I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

What a great declaration of love and faith in our heavenly Father, the God above all gods. We’re starting out on shouting ground and going even higher today, church. Give God all the praise you can muster up. It feels good, doesn’t it? You want to get up and shout out your praise to God? Go ahead. You feel like dancing in the spirit, start dancing. Welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service. Please know you are welcome in this place.

David first said the words in this Psalm on the day the Lord delivered him from all his enemies headed up by King Saul. You can read the whole story in II Samuel Chapter 22. It is worth reading, and I urge you to do so. My friends, God loves you so much, he is waiting for you to call out to him. Do you know he was not just David’s strength, fortress and deliverer, but he is just the same for you. Trust in him through his Son, Jesus Christ. Cry out “I love thee, O Lord, you are my strength.”

You know folks, in a couple of days I’ll have another birthday. I’ve been on this earth a long time. One of the greatest pleasures I still have is the ability and desire to wake up each morning and say “Thank you Lord for this day. Thank you for this day of salvation. Thank you, Lord, for your son Jesus Christ who died on that cross so that we may have salvation and eternal life with Jesus.” The great thing is, you too, my friends, may have these same desires and abilities. Turn to Jesus today. Ask him to forgive you of all your sins. Believe in your heart today that God raised Jesus from the dead. Confess Jesus as your Savior and make him your Lord. Repent!! Which just means to turn away from sin, and the ways of the world and to walk hand in hand with the Lord. Then you can honestly say “I love you, O Lord, my strength.” Now you can walk through life on his strength and not your own.

Believers, you know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Now admittedly, some believers have slipped off the path. But, the good news is that you can get back on the right path again today. Come on. God is for you and so are we. God has not left nor forsaken you. Deuteronomy 31:6 gives the instruction:

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: For the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

This scripture along with Hebrews 13:5 is speaking to God’s children, to those that trust him even if you have feel you have failed him (at the very least in your own mind). God is saying to stay strong in him through his Son Jesus. Hebrews 13:5 says:

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Do you get this, church? God knows we are not perfect, but he desires us to keep putting him first in our lives. Just be content where you are. God will move you up or out of your situation. He will always be with you. That is his promise to his children.

I know we like to make this thing much harder than what it is. God’s plan for our life is really quite simple. Believe on him through his Son, Jesus, read the instruction book of life (the Bible) and follow the instructions. Listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Follow God’s ways and not the ways of the world. Along the way you’ll hear and see all kinds of things both in church and out of church designed to draw you away from the love of God. But just keep reading and giving your ear to God. You will make it. I promise you.

You see, church, once you truly accept Jesus as Lord of your life, things change, don’t they? Paul states it so well in Galatians 2:20. This applies to all of us.

“I am crucified with Christ: Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Do you get that, my friends? Jesus loved us so much he gave himself as the only perfect sacrifice, dying on a cross so that you may be saved. And yes, he did that just for you and me. All the petty differences in denominations, doctrines and made up things of man don’t seem so important now, do they? I guess the point I’m trying to make is: Love God through his son Jesus. We believers are like Paul. We are crucified with Christ. We surely live, but in truth it is Christ who lives in us. We live in our flesh but we walk by the faith of the Son of God. Always remember what Jesus did for us.

So now, knowing this, when I look at my wife and children, the home I live in, the faith I have and yes as I write this message for you, is it any wonder that I can and will say “I love you O Lord, you are my strength. Thank you so much for this life on earth you have given me. And Lord, I am looking forward to eternal life with you.” Why don’t you take a look around you, my friends? You can say the same thing, can’t you? One thing I do know, God loves you!! Love him back. Okay?

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob